This invention pertains to portable chain saws wherein an endless cutting chain is driven around the periphery of a guide bar attached to the motor housing of the saw. More specifically, this invention pertains to elongation of the hand-holding means of a chain saw in order to extend the reach of the saw by the chain saw operator while also permitting him to maintain control over the amount of power being applied to the cutting chain.
Portable chain saws, both gasoline and electric powered, have become well developed and are now extremely popular for the felling, cutting-up and trimming of trees. However, one problem that is frequently encountered during use of these saws is their relatively short overall length. As a consequence, it is not possible for the operator of a chain saw to stand in a particular spot on the ground and reach upward and/or outward to cut a limb several feet beyond his normal reach with the saw, e.g. an operator cannot normally make a cut more than 3-5 feet beyond his arm's reach when holding and operating the saw.
Previous attempts to increase the distance to which an operator can reach and cut tree limbs, etc., with a portable power-driven saw are disclosed by Lagant in U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,957 and by Lawrence in U.S. Pat. No. 2,697,457. Both of these references show use of specially designed sawing apparatus which is quite different from a chain saw. More specifically, each of these patentees shows use of a circular saw blade attached to one end of hand-held mast or pole, and with the circular blade being driven by means of a shaft or flexible cable which leads rearwardly of the operator to a gasoline engine power source located either at the rear end of the hand-held pole or behind it.
A principle object of the present invention is to provide means for increasing the distance to which the operator of a conventional chain saw can reach, when cutting wood, without modifying the basic design of the chain saw being used.
Another object is to provide improved hand-holding means which can be attached to a conventional chain saw for extending the reach of the saw by an operator, and which can be simply attached or detached from the chain saw between cutting operations.
Still another object is accomplishment of the foregoing objects while also providing means whereby the operator of the chain saw can maintain control over the amount of power applied to the cutting chain of the saw.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims.